Brief
Alfreton Park Community Special School caters for 100 pupils, aged 2 to 19, with a variety of special educational needs, including severe, complex, and profound learning difficulties.
Our client’s brief was for the construction of a new school building to accommodate Alfreton Park Community Special School. The proposal also included the demolition of the existing school premises in Alfreton Park, and works to provide a replacement adventure playground that occupied the site of the new school buildings.
Key Info
Type:
New Build & Demolition
Value:
£13,200,000
Location:
Alfreton, Derbyshire
Completion Date:
May 2022
Contractor:
Henry Brothers (Midlands) Ltd
End User:
Alfreton Park Community Special School
Contract Type:
Design and Build
Disciplines:
Project Management
Imagery
Scope
Our design needed to be fully inclusive and provide a homely learning environment. The internal and external areas had to be secure and enhance the pupils’ confidence.
In addition, we were required to create a space which was welcoming to parents, relatives, and members of the local community.
Extensive early engagement with the Planning and Heritage Officers took place due to the sensitive nature of the site. The whole of Alfreton Park is covered by a Tree Preservation Order and contains a nationally significant collection of veteran oak trees. Consultation led to a change of site immediately adjacent to the park itself. This location imposed fewer constraints on the design of the school building and landscape. It also had the added benefit that the demolition of the existing school within the park, and the sympathetic reinstatement of the landscape, would offer significant positive enhancement to the park, its users, and the wider conservation area.
This location imposed fewer constraints on the design of the school building and landscape. It also had the added benefit that the demolition of the existing school within the park, and the sympathetic reinstatement of the landscape, would offer significant positive enhancement to the park, its users, and the wider conservation area.
Result
Our client and end users are very happy with their new school building.
The school has been designed to accommodate flexible use and is adaptable to changing year group sizes, which vary in size between 2-15. Classrooms therefore cater for a range of ages and can suit a variety of teaching strategies and activities.